


Lucky People

by Goldenonyx



Series: Max's Naruto November [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Uchiha Sasuke, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, M/M, Mission Fic, inspired by lucky people by waterparks, jounin naruto, lots of flashbacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-01-26 16:27:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21377077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldenonyx/pseuds/Goldenonyx
Summary: Six years after returning to Konoha, Sasuke is finally happy with his life. He has his friends back, his team back, and most importantly, he has Naruto. Things take a turn for the worst when he's sent on what's clearly a suicide mission, and he's suddenly faced with the fear of losing everything he's spent so long trying to get back.After pestering for years, Naruto had finally convinced Sasuke to retire from ANBU, and he was able to breath easy knowing Sasuke was safe. When Sasuke leaves the village with nothing but a note left behind, Naruto's entire world shatters, but he refuses to break. Something just doesn't add up, and he's going to figure it out or die trying.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Max's Naruto November [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533464
Comments: 15
Kudos: 66





	1. The Beginning of the End

A faint tapping sound woke him, and a feeling of dread seeped into his body. He groaned, pushing off the bed and padding over to the window where the ANBU guard was waiting. Wordlessly he was handed the scroll before the other man disappeared, leaving Sasuke in the silence of the morning. It was still dark out, the sun not yet risen, and here he was getting a summons. He mindlessly put his uniform on, not allowing himself to think about what was waiting for him in the Hokage’s office.

He arrived sooner than he would have liked, but that feeling of doom only grew with every passing moment, so he assumed the sooner he knew what was going on, the better. There was no way Kakashi would be working right now if it wasn’t important, and seeing how he had sent for Sasuke, something was definitely wrong.

As he silently fit himself through the open window he felt the tense atmosphere of room. Kakashi sat at his desk, Shikamaru at his side muttering quietly under his breath. There were no ANBU in the room, which was odd, but Sasuke could feel their presence outside. Noticing him, Shikamaru moved to close the window, throwing up some seals to allow the three of them some privacy. Sasuke stood in front of Kakashi, waiting for whatever it was he was going to say.

Over the years, Sasuke had gotten pretty good at reading his sensei. The tenseness in his normal slouch, the almost painful stillness of his body, his eye just a shade darker than normal. Sasuke knew what this meant, and he knew that he wasn’t going to like it.

“There’s a missing-nin from Hoshigakure, he’s been causing trouble all over the continent,” Kakashi said, his eye watching Sasuke. Sasuke just stood there, waiting for Kakashi to get to the point. Since he left ANBU he hadn’t received many missions directly from the Hokage, but none of those had ever concerned missing-nin.

“The other Kages’ have already each sent one of their best after him, but none of them returned. The last contact anyone had was from the northwestern border of the Land of Earth three weeks ago.” Kakashi’s voice strained ever so slightly as he spoke, enough that no one else would have picked up on it, but Sasuke had known him long enough to notice. He didn’t want to do this, this was a suicide mission, and Sasuke was one of the last people Kakashi would want to send on it. This wasn’t Kakashi’s decision, this was the Hokage’s, but Sasuke knew that didn’t make things any easier.

“Your mission is to hunt this nin and prevent him from causing more problems. Shikamaru has prepared the information we have on him. You leave at sunrise.” Shikamaru handed Sasuke the scroll, but Sasuke hesitated. A part of him wanted to argue, this was an ANBU job, and he’d left that behind almost a year ago. Out of an entire village of capable shinobi, why did it have to be him? He wanted to argue, he knew that Kakashi didn’t want to send him, and that fact made him swallow his protests. Kakashi wouldn’t have picked him if he had another choice, no matter how hard it was. So Sasuke held his head up high, nodding at Shikamaru as he accepted the scroll. He met Kakashi’s eye briefly before leaving, filing those feelings he saw into the back of his mind for later. Now, he had a mission to prepare for.

Sliding wordlessly into his apartment, he reached into the depths of his closet to get the supplies he knew would be there. Despite not being ANBU for a year, he still had his gear tucked away, a nervous habit he had yet to break. Naruto had been the reason he had left, reminding him that he had put himself in enough dangerous situations for one lifetime. He’d been right, but the thought of Naruto as he slid into his old uniform made his blood run cold. It wouldn’t be the first time they had been sent on missions without being able to say goodbye, but this mission was different. He wasn’t expected to come back, even without Kakashi saying that, Sasuke knew it was true. He wasn’t the first high ranking shinobi to be sent after this missing-nin, and from the grim look he had seen in both Shikamaru’s and Kakashi’s eye, he knew.

Checking his pack one last time, he headed to his door, only to stop and backtrack to the kitchen. He couldn’t tell Naruto anything about where he was going or what he was doing, and he didn’t want to make him worry more than he already would, but he had to leave something. When he had officially resigned from ANBU, he thought that would have been the last time, but he was never that lucky. He quickly finished his note and left it on the counter, knowing Naruto would find it there. With one last look, he left, the sky just beginning to light up.

Six years ago Sasuke had come back to Konoha, ready and willing to face whatever waited for him so that he could finally be home. Perhaps things had gone a little too smoothly for him, having both Kakashi and Naruto there to back him up. He had been pardoned for all his past crimes and left with six months village arrest. Being unable to leave the village for his first six months was completely fine for him, he had no desire to go anywhere anyway. He spent his days just wandering, familiarizing himself with the changes that had been made in his absence. Most days Naruto walked with him, talking about this and that, just providing company. At first it made Sasuke feel awkward, how easily Naruto had pushed himself back into his life, and how Naruto acted the same way he always did.

It grew comfortable after a while, and Naruto’s presence became a constant. Sasuke was sure that Naruto was trying to be stealthy, but he knew that some nights he would appear outside his apartment, checking to make sure Sasuke was still there. He’d been gone for so long, and Naruto had spent so much time trying to get him to come back, Sasuke couldn’t fault him for being worried he’d leave again.

As soon as his six months were over, Naruto got sent on a mission. Kakashi would never admit it, but Sasuke knew the reason Naruto was able to stay in the village for the last six months was because of him. Being without the other for the first time since coming back was weird, and Sasuke didn’t know what to do with himself. He found himself spending his free time at the training grounds, and slowly others started showing up with him. Some days he’d find himself training with Lee, other days Neji or the occasional Ino. Even Sakura had shown up a few times, no doubt using it as an excuse to take out all the anger she had about him leaving. It felt good, reacquainting with the people he hadn’t had a good relationship with in years. After Naruto returned he joined Sasuke’s new routine, sometimes training with him, other times sitting back and watching. It was comfortable, and that’s really all Sasuke could have asked for.

His year mark came and went, and with that came his first summons. Over the past year he had gotten so used to Kakashi just showing up around him at random times, sometimes showing up at his apartment with food, other times to give him a good beating on the training grounds. He was comfortable around Kakashi, their relationship had only strengthened since he had come back. It was easy for him to forget that Kakashi wasn’t just his sensei anymore, but also Hokage, and getting an official Hokage summons made him nervous. Whatever this was, it wasn’t something Kakashi would just casually bring up over dinner, but something that he had to do for the village.

Kakashi had been against it from the start, but he had to acknowledge Sasuke’s skillset. He had probably hoped Sasuke would turn it down, but he didn’t. If it was anyone other than Kakashi he would have, he knew what it did to Itachi, but he trusted Kakashi. So, a year after returning to Konoha, Sasuke joined ANBU.

He didn’t tell anyone, he hadn’t planned on anyone knowing either, but Naruto had a way of finding out everything about Sasuke. He had protested, listed off every reason he could think of why Sasuke should just be a jounin like him, but Sasuke just shrugged. He had spent so much time angry at Konoha, spent so much time trying to destroy it, he felt he owed the village.

Naruto worried every time he was sent on a mission, Sasuke didn’t need Sakura to tell him for him to know. ANBU missions were dangerous, and they were secret. With Naruto’s missions, he could tell Sasuke where he was going, what type of mission it was, and how long he would be gone. When Sasuke left, he couldn’t even say goodbye.

“The first thing he does is check your apartment,” Sakura said one day as they were having lunch. They had begun to hang out more and more, and while finding time between their busy schedules was difficult, they took advantage of it when they could.

“I know,” Sasuke simply shrugged. After the first few times he had simply added Naruto’s chakra signature to his seals so he would stop breaking in. Naruto had almost choked on his ramen when Sasuke had brought it up, spluttering out uncoherent sounds. It had caused Sasuke to laugh, nothing more than a light chuckle, but with the way Naruto’s entire face lit up, he wasn’t as self-conscious about it as he normally would have been.

“You could leave notes,” she suggested, ignoring the dumb look on Sasuke’s face. “Obviously not about whatever mission you’re on, but just something to ease his mind while you’re gone. Write about a memory you have of the two of you, tell him something about yourself he might not know, make plans for when you come back. Just, little things like that.”

So that’s what he did.

The first few were awkward, he had no idea what to write, but once he saw the effect they had on Naruto, they got easier. _I still think orange is a terrible color for a shinobi_ and _I don’t understand how someone can exist solely on ramen _slowly turned into other, more personal things, things Sasuke could never say out loud. _For the longest time I hated being an Uchiha, everyone had different expectations of me and nobody cared what I wanted_, and _My biggest regrets are the times I tried to kill you, I knew deep down I would never be able to do it, but the fact I attempted at all still makes my blood boil. How you can still be anywhere near me I’ll never know_.

Most of the time Naruto didn’t outright acknowledge the note, he just put little pieces here and there to let Sasuke know he got it. The last one though, he acknowledged. It was a winter evening after Sasuke had returned from a longer than average mission, snow falling slowly and the village silent. Naruto was waiting for him, always somehow knowing when he would be back. They walked along the snow covered streets towards Sasuke’s apartment slowly, both in their own heads.

“I never held any bad feelings towards you,” Naruto whispered, his voice soft. At first Sasuke was confused, but then he remember the note he had left weeks before and sighed, looking up at the sky.

“You should,” he said, ignoring the flakes getting stuck in his eyelashes.

“You were filled with hatred, and after everything that happened I get it. You hated Itachi, then Konoha, the world. Probably even me. But I knew who you were behind the hatred, and I wasn’t going to let you go. I don’t think I could ever hate you, not really.”

“Why?” Sasuke asked, stopping in his tracks and looking over at the blond. He could see his apartment from here, and in the back of his mind he knew it would be better to get out of the snow before they got sick, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He couldn’t break whatever was going on here, so he ignored that part of his brain, focusing instead on Naruto.

“I just don’t think it’s possible,” he shrugged, avoiding Sasuke’s eyes. Something was happening here, he could feel it, but he had no idea what _that_ was. He wanted to run through scenarios in his head, try and figure out what he was missing, but instead he turned off the tactical part of his brain, allowing his instincts to take over instead. He found himself standing directly in front of Naruto, forcing their gazes together.

“Why?” he asked again, not failing to notice the bob of Naruto’s throat and the blush that dusted his checks.

“I-“Naruto tried, his breath ghosting across Sasuke’s lips. He didn’t know what Naruto was going to say, because before anymore words could come out their lips smashed together, passion and want and _need _displaying everything words were never able to.

He suddenly understood way more about Naruto than he ever thought he would. Why he had spent so much time following Sasuke, trying so hard to get him to come home. Why he had stuck with him every moment he could now that he was back. He even understood why Naruto had been so against him joining ANBU, and he knew if their places were swapped he would feel the exact same.

Things about himself also began to make sense. Why he had decided to come back to Konoha despite everything, why he put an effort into reconnecting with his old friends. Why he had to distract himself while Naruto was on missions. They’d had feelings for each other for a long time, and of course Sasuke was just now figuring that out. But standing here, snow falling softly around them, all that mattered was Naruto, they could figure everything else out later.

Sakura had called him an idiot the next time they hung out. He had been oddly excited to tell someone about what had happened, so he was confused when Sakura just called him an idiot and looked at him like he was the stupidest person in the world. When he asked her about it, she just laughed at him.

“We all thought the two of you had been a thing for years. I can’t say I’m surprised you’re the last one to know though.”

He had just batted a non-threatening hand at her that she easily dodged before going on to talk about her recent shift at the hospital. Half-listening, Sasuke thought back about everything he and Naruto had been through, and realized Sakura had been right. Their relationship had always been a little more than ‘just friends,’ and he was willing to bet that he was in fact the last person to figure that out.

Sasuke had made it about a month into their official relationship before his next mission came, and this was by far the hardest to leave for. Naruto had been there when he got the scroll, the two of them on Sasuke’s couch, Naruto’s head in his lap as he played with his hair. They had both froze at the tap on the window, knowing what it meant. Sasuke had reluctantly slid out from under Naruto’s head, refusing to look at the other as he went to retrieve the scroll for the other ANBU. Sasuke just stood there for a moment, scroll held tightly in his hand as he tried to figure out what to do. He heard Naruto sigh as he pushed himself off the couch, collecting his things and heading towards the door. Watching him left a sad feeling in his chest, but it couldn’t be helped. Nobody was allowed to be around when he read the mission scroll.

“You’ve done more than enough for the village,” Naruto said, stopping in the doorway. “You’ve been in enough near-death situations for one lifetime, don’t ya think?”

Before Sasuke left for his mission, he pulled out the familiar notepad from his kitchen drawer, smiling slightly as he wrote.

_When we’re both jounin, let’s do our missions together_

That had been a year ago, and Sasuke had hoped it was the last note he would have to write. Naruto had been ecstatic when Sasuke had returned, peppering him in kisses and refusing to leave his side for days. When he turned in his resignation form to Kakashi, the other man just eyed the hickey peeking out from Sasuke’s shirt before approving it, waving Sasuke out of his office with a suggestive wink.

For the first time in a very long time, Sasuke was happy with his life. He had biweekly lunches with Sakura, he continued training with Lee and Neji, Ino joining when she had time away from her genin team. He was even able to keep up with Kakashi, having dinner with him every week, sometime at his apartments, or if he was stuck working Sasuke would bring take out to his office.

Naruto though, that’s where a majority of his happiness came from. They did everything together, even more so than they already had been. When one of them left on a mission, the other went with, so there was no more walking around the village searching for distractions while the other was gone. He felt loved with Naruto in a way he had never felt loved before. He knew the love Sakura and Kakashi had for him, and that warmed him, but the love Naruto felt for him? It set his soul on fire, he felt it with every touch, intensifying with every kiss. It was more than he thought he’d ever get, and it only continued to make his own love grow. He hadn’t been able to voice this, but he hoped Naruto knew.

As he walked along the forest towards the Land of Earth, he hoped more than anything that Naruto knew.


	2. Crashing Down

Naruto groaned as he rolled over, his back facing the slivers of sunlight that were seeping through the window. He’d been meaning to get his blinds fixed for some time now, they’d been broken since Sasuke had angry tried to close them one night he stayed over. Naruto chuckled at the memory, the scene of Sasuke struggling with blinds was not something he’d ever expected to see. Now awake, he decided to start his day. He’d slept longer than normal seeing how it was now ten, but he hadn’t gotten home until late the night before, so he assumed it was okay. He had been at Sakura’s until midnight, the two of them putting the finishing touches on the party they were planning for Sasuke. A week from today marks the anniversary of Sasuke’s return to Konoha, and Naruto wanted to surprise him. He had asked Sakura to help, and she had happily agreed. They had been planning for months, getting occasional help from Kakashi and Sasuke’s other friends, and things were finally coming together.

He got ready quickly, aiming to get as much done before going over to Sasuke’s in the evening. Sasuke had complained a few days before that Naruto really needed to have actual food in his apartment so they didn’t have to get take out every time Sasuke came over, so glancing at the clock, Naruto decided he had enough time to go to the market before meeting Iruka for lunch.

Naruto had never been much of a cook, but Sasuke was the complete opposite. He could somehow whip up a gourmet meal out of seemingly nothing, and when Naruto had claimed it had to be magic, Sasuke had just rolled his eyes. He couldn’t been trusted with the stove, but Sasuke always found some other way Naruto could help, and cooking together quickly became one of his favorite things. It allowed them to spend more time together, working towards a common goal and enjoying the completed project. It wasn’t uncommon for them to get in minor food fights, but Naruto never failed to see the sparkle in Sasuke’s eyes despite his attempt at annoyance.

He grabbed various things, vegetables, fruits, fish, whatever he thought looked good. Sasuke would be able to make something out of whatever he bought, so he wasn’t overly worried with his selection. Food tucked safely away, Naruto stopped by the local metalworker’s shop on his way home, picking up his gift for Sasuke and trying to figure out where to hide it. He had put the order in a few weeks before, but seeing the finished product in person made his heart swell. Naturally he was worried if Sasuke would like it, or if it was too much, but Sakura had just told him it was about time.

After wandering around his apartment for longer than he’d like to admit, he decided to just put it in his closet under some spare blankets. Sasuke wouldn’t have any reason to be in there for at least the next week, so it should go unfound. Satisfied with his handiwork, Naruto finished putting his groceries away and headed out to Ichiraku, where Iruka was probably already waiting for him. They didn’t see each other nearly as much as Naruto would like, but he was just glad they found time to have lunch every once in a while.

As he expected, Iruka was waiting inside, their orders already placed. Naruto just grinned, plopping down in the stool next to him.

“You seem rather happy today, something good happen?” Iruka asked, smiling back at him.

“I picked up Sasuke’s gift earlier,” he said, his checks starting to hurt from how much he was smiling.

“How’s it look?”

“Better than I ever imagined. I just hope he likes it,” Naruto muttered. He was so worried that Sasuke wouldn’t like it, or think it was too soon, but Naruto had put so much thought into what to get him, and this had just seemed like the right thing.

“He’ll love it Naruto, there’s no way he won’t,” Iruka said, a reassuring smile on his face. Naruto just nodded, turning his attention to the ramen placed in front of him.

The rest of lunch went by like normal, both of them exchanging stories about what they had been up to since the last time. It was nice, and Naruto was reminded yet again how lucky he was to have so many great people in his life. Iruka was the first person to ever acknowledge him, and without him Naruto wasn’t sure he would be where he is today. He was so grateful, and he knew he’d never be able to pay him back. Iruka had signified so much change in Naruto’s life, he’d been the person to change the tides. He had been one of the first people to show Naruto love, and that was something he’d never forget.

They parted ways later that afternoon, promising to meet again sometime. Naruto knew that Sasuke had specifically said to come over that evening, but with nothing else to do, he decided it was close enough. He knew Sasuke wouldn’t mind, he would probably be expecting him to show up early anyway, he always did. Naruto hummed to himself as he walked, waving to familiar faces as he willed himself to maintain a normal pace. Just the thought of seeing Sasuke always put him in a good mood, he couldn’t help himself. He loved Sasuke, loved him in a way he had never loved anyone before. He knew that Sasuke loved him too, even if he never said it out loud. Naruto had never expected to hear it back whenever he said it, he knew Sasuke expressed love differently, and he never second guessed Sasuke’s love. He would get there when he got there, and Naruto was in no rush. As far as he was concerned, they had the rest of their lives to figure everything out.

By the time he reached Sasuke’s apartment, he was too giddy to try and contain himself. He practically ran up the stairs, skipping every other step until he made it to the door. The fact that Sasuke had added his chakra to the seals still made Naruto unbelievably happy, and he just smiled as the seals unlocked to let him in. The darkness that greeted him pushed the smile off his face.

“Sasuke?” He called, hesitantly stepping inside. He didn’t sense anyone inside, and the lack of response left a bad feeling in his stomach. Naruto wanted to believe that Sasuke was out, maybe training with Neji or getting lunch with Sakura, but he knew that Sasuke hadn’t had any plans.

As he walked further into the apartment, his feeling of unease grew. It was cold, and by the looks of it no one had been there for a while. A voice in the back of his head tried to steer him into the kitchen, but Naruto pushed it back, unwilling to consider what it was suggesting.

The bedroom window was closed, the curtains shut tight and the bed made neatly. Hands shaking, Naruto opened the closet, and his breath hitched when he noticed Sasuke’s gear was gone. He knew what that meant, when a shinobi’s gear was gone, but he refused to think about it. There had to be another reason, there had to be. If he had known where to look, he might have noticed the absence of Sasuke’s ANBU uniform, but after seeing the gear gone, he turned his attention away from the closet.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood in the bedroom, throwing possibilities around in his head on where Sasuke was and why his gear was gone, but eventually he had to face his fears. As he padded to the kitchen, he hoped, more than anything, that he wouldn’t find it. It was supposed to have ended a year ago, it _did_ end a year ago. So there was no way he’d find one, right?

His heart stopped when he spotted the familiar pad of paper on the counter. He felt his blood run cold, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. This wasn’t real, it couldn’t be. Sasuke was playing a cruel joke, he was probably watching Naruto right now, waiting for the perfect time to come out and tease him.

Numbly his legs carried him the rest of the distance to where the note waited, a single line of Sasuke’s writing on the center of the page. It didn’t process at first, the words on the page, but when they did, Naruto felt everything in him break. Three little words, words he had wanted to hear for so long, there on the page, written in Sasuke’s neat handwriting. He hadn’t wanted it like this. He would rather live his entire life without seeing those words from Sasuke then see them like this. Out of everything that he’d ever been through, nothing broke him like this.

_I love you_


	3. Why

It was Sakura who found him, curled up on the floor of Sasuke’s kitchen. He wasn’t sure how long it had been, or how she had even known to come, but he was grateful. She had just hugged him, rubbing a soothing hand along his back as his tears spilled down his face. When he had calmed down, he just rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes and allowing himself to recover.

“He’s gone,” he mumbled, finally acknowledging what he had known as soon as he walked into the empty apartment. Sakura was silent, continuing to rub circles into his back.

“Is it a mission?” she asked, resting her head on his.

“His gear is gone, but the note, it’s,” he swallowed, a fresh wave of tears coming over him. “It sounds like goodbye.”

He knew Sasuke’s notes by now, after receiving them for four years, he knew what they would consist of. Memories of the past, random facts about himself, little things he’d observed about Naruto, plans for the future. But this, this was definitive. Naruto knew Sasuke, knew him better than he knew himself. Sasuke would never have left those words on a simple piece of paper unless he didn’t plan on being able to say them in person. He wouldn’t have left them unless he planned on never coming back.

“Maybe I wasn’t enough, or maybe too much. Maybe I was pressuring him into something he didn’t want and he felt trapped. Maybe-“

“You’re wrong,” Sakura interrupted, pulling back enough to look Naruto in the eye. “Sasuke loves you Naruto, anyone can see that. This is Sasuke’s home, _you’re_ his home, he wouldn’t leave unless he felt he didn’t have a choice. Besides, we’ve known him his whole life and he’s never been happier. He wouldn’t just leave.”

“But, if it’s a mission why didn’t he say something? He isn’t ANBU anymore, he should have been able to.”

“Is his uniform still here?”

“Yeah, his shinobi uniform is folded on the bed, which is another reason it probably isn’t a mission-“

“No, his ANBU uniform.”

“His ANBU-?” Naruto didn’t even know Sasuke still had that, so he hadn’t thought to look for it. Before he could say anything else, Sakura was up, heading towards the bedroom with an unreadable look on her face. Naruto couldn’t bring himself to follow, not sure he wanted to know what she found. Time stretched on slowly as he waited, unable to breathe. He wasn’t sure what was a worse thought, Sasuke leaving on his own, or leaving on another ANBU mission. One thing was clear from the note, he wasn’t planning on coming back, and that made the mission possibility even worse. By the time Sakura came back into the kitchen, her face was guarded, and that told Naruto all he needed to know.

“He said he resigned,” he muttered, more to himself than anything. “He said he was done.”

“He told me the same thing,” Sakura admitted, a far off look on her face as she sat on the floor next to Naruto.

“Why would he lie about that?”

“To make us not worry?” Sakura tried, but they both knew it was a weak answer. Sasuke would’ve known he would be sent on another mission at some point, so they would find out eventually. He hadn’t told them when he had joined, yet they found out. He couldn’t have expected to keep it a secret forever.

“If it wasn’t a mission, why else would he leave?” Naruto asked, resting his head against the cabinet.

“The uniform could be a distraction, to get us to look in the wrong place so we won’t follow. He’s got to be protecting us from something,” Sakura realized, turning to Naruto to gauge his reaction. He just looked back at her, eyes clouded, before turning his gaze back to the ceiling.

“Are you sure he even still had his uniform?”

“Kakashi still has his. It’s a habit they fall into as ANBU, always being ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Even when they’ve resigned, that isn’t the type of habit to break easily,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s possible he was sent on an s-rank and he felt more comfortable in ANBU gear.”

“Even if it was an s-rank, he would have been able to say goodbye,” Naruto sighed. “As much as I hate the thought of him being sent on another ANBU mission, that isn’t what bothers me. It’s the note.”

“You’re sure he wouldn’t have left a note for any other reason?”

“It’s always been a way to let me know he’s on a mission, I don’t see any reason why it would be anything else. Sasuke isn’t the type of person to just leave them around everywhere.”

“You know, the first time you were sent on a mission after Sasuke came back, most people expected him to leave again,” Sakura said, amusement in her tone. “They thought he was waiting until you were gone so he could get away without you following. I’ll admit, he was making it easy for them to talk. He spent the first few days around the gate, but I knew better.”

“He was waiting for me?” Naruto asked. He had never heard anyone talk about what Sasuke had done that first time they were apart, all he had known was that Sasuke made friends with Lee, Neji, and Ino.

“The two of you had been inseparable ever since he came back, he didn’t know what to do with himself. It was Neji who invited him to train with them, he’d seen Sasuke hang around the training grounds trying to find something to do so he figured, why not. Ino had told me that he seemed worried about something, so I thought I would check on him myself. He still wasn’t sure how to act around us back then, and since I already knew he wasn’t going to talk about what he was worrying him, I’d beat it out of him,” she chuckled.

“I bet you enjoyed that,” Naruto smiled, closing his eyes and listening.

“Oh definitely, he deserved every hit. But Ino was right, he was worried. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together,” she finished.

“Sasuke mentioned that you thought we were together for a long time before we really got together. How much longer?” Naruto asked, looking down at her.

“Naruto, you spent years following him trying to get him to come back, and he did. He came back despite everything because you asked him to. He wouldn’t have done that for anyone else,” she smiled.

They sat in silence for a while after that, both in their own heads. If it wasn’t a mission, then Sasuke must have found some sort of threat and had gone after it to protect them. The only reason he would willingly leave without saying anything was to protect them, and Naruto knew he would do that without a second thought. If that’s what happened, Naruto would be beyond pissed. He should have said something, gotten Team 7 back together to take down the threat, just like the old days. Or at least bring Naruto with him, they had always worked better as a team.

But if it was a mission? If it was a mission, then that meant Sasuke didn’t have a choice. Sasuke walking into an apparent death trap because of his own decision was one thing, but being sent on a suicide mission was something else entirely. It was far worse, and that thought haunted Naruto. He didn’t want to think about it, but at this point he didn’t have a choice. Sasuke was gone, and Naruto had to bring him back.

Naruto sighed, pulling Sakura up with him. Taking one final look around the apartment, he grabbed the note and headed towards the door, Sakura following behind him. They needed to figure out if Sasuke left because of a mission, and there was only one person they could go to.

They were going to pay Kakashi a visit.


	4. Unease

Sasuke never had trouble turning off his emotions and focusing on his mission, but the further he got from Konoha, the harder that seemed to be. Each step seemed heavier and heavier, and as the distance grew so did the hole in his chest. If he had been given this mission before, back in his earlier ANBU days, Sasuke would have had no problem with it. This wasn’t the first mission he had walked into not expecting to come out of, but it was the first mission he seriously wanted to survive. He wasn’t alone anymore, he had people waiting for him, people that meant so much to him, people he loved. The thought of walking away from all of that, walking away from the life he never thought he’d get but so desperately wanted, it killed him.

When he received the mission it hadn’t been explicitly stated, but it was loud and clear in Shikamaru’s face and the way Kakashi looked at him. The odds of surviving this were low, four of the strongest had supposedly fallen already. Sasuke was never much of an optimist, but it was times like these he was glad Naruto had rubbed off on him. He couldn’t go into this hopeless, he had to believe he would make it home at the end of it all. He had to believe there was another dinner with Kakashi, another lunch with Sakura, another training session with his friends. He had to believe he’d see Naruto again, be able to hold him in his arms and never let go. Naruto had been planning something for months, something he was excited to show Sasuke, and he’d been so curious what it was. He was going to make it home, he didn’t have any other choice.

Naruto would be waiting at the gate when he got back, just like he always was. Sasuke had no idea how he always seemed to know when he would be back, but he didn’t care. Coming home to Naruto was the best part of missions, and this time he would tell him. He would say out loud what he’d only been able to say on paper. He loved Naruto, he had for so long, and Naruto deserved to hear that.

That night, deep in the forests of the Land of Fire, Sasuke dreamed of home.

For the longest time, home had been a foreign concept to Sasuke. He had known what it meant once, but after that was taken from him, he had all but forgotten. Home became something other people had, something just out of his grasp. It was Team 7 that taught him what home really was. It wasn’t a place, but rather the people who meant the most to you. He had lost track of that when his revenge consumed him, but his team had been patient, reminding him when he needed it most. The last six years had shown Sasuke home in so many different forms, it was hard to remember a time when he didn’t have them. Home was Kakashi’s office, late at night playing dumb games over take out. Home was Sakura’s kitchen, his head resting on the counter while she ranted about work as she cooked. Home was the training grounds, where Lee and Neji sparred, Ino laughing on the sidelines.

Home was Naruto. The way his hair unnaturally fluffed after a shower. The way he smiled whenever they made eye contact. The way his entire body moved as he talked. Naruto had been Sasuke’s home for much longer than he’d ever admit, probably longer than he’d even realized. And somewhere deep within his unconscious mind, he knew that while Naruto was his home, he was also Naruto’s.

When he woke the next morning, he forced all of his focus on to the mission ahead of him. From the scroll Shikamaru had provided, he had nothing more than a name and last assumed location. The nin, known only as Maito, was supposedly from Hoshigakure in the Land of Bears, and based on the last known location of the missing Iwagakure nin, it was assumed he was somewhere northwest of the Land of Earth. Sasuke had known this when he set off the day before, heading towards the Land of Earth, however as he looked more at the file, he noticed an odd pattern. The four nin who had been sent after Maito were all last heard of in opposite directions. South was the only direction not accounted for, and that also happened to be in the direction of the Land of Bears.

Was he walking straight into a trap, heading in the one direction not yet accounted for? Maybe, but from the information he had, the Land of Bears was the best chance he had. Turning around and backtracking wasn’t something he necessarily wanted to do, but Sasuke really didn’t see any other choice. It would add even more time going far enough around Konoha that he didn’t run into anyone, but it was unavoidable. Sighing, he headed back the way he came, playing different scenarios and possibilities in his head.

The more Sasuke thought about it though, the more uneasy he felt about the whole mission. As far as anyone seemed to know, Maito didn’t have any set goal or motivation. He was listed as a large threat, which was in part due to his connection to the disappearances of the other shinobi, but other than that Sasuke couldn’t see any reason he was being hunted in the first place. The disappearances themselves didn’t add up. Each of the four shinobi’s were last heard from on complete opposite sides of the continent. The only real connection they had was the fact they were in the same file. If they were each listed as separate cases, Sasuke would never have assumed they were related. A group could potentially explain the difference in geography, but Maito had no known affiliates. It looked more like someone was trying to make this look like something it wasn’t.

He needed more information on why the original mission to find Maito was issued. The first shinobi given the mission was Sora from the Land of Wind. Sasuke could head to Sunagakure and ask Gaara for information about it, but since each of the Five Great Shinobi Countries had assigned this mission at some point, they would each have copies of the entire case. Shikamaru had only provided Sasuke with the known information about the disappearances, and what little information they had on Maito. Konoha, being the most recent to issue this mission, would have the most updated information.

Sasuke had to go back.

The thought of going back to Konoha terrified him. He didn’t want to go back until it was over, and going back before anything had really begun was sure to give him false security. Not to mention the fact that it was almost an unspoken rule not to report back to the village before completing your mission. Kakashi wouldn’t care about that, and Sasuke was going to make sure Kakashi was the only one who knew he was back in the first place.

Naruto would be his biggest hurdle. There hadn’t been a single mission Sasuke had come back from where he hadn’t been waiting at the gate. He’d never put much thought into it before, but Naruto always knew when he was back without fail. He couldn’t know, he absolutely could not find out. Sasuke knew his note caused Naruto to panic. If Naruto were to find him, one of two things would happen. Either Naruto would convince Sasuke to abandon the mission completely and stay in the village, or he would come with him. Or he would kill him on the spot. The most likely option was that he would come with, and Sasuke couldn’t risk that. If this really did turn out to be the suicide mission they had assumed, he wasn’t going to put Naruto at risk. Sure, he knew that if something were to happen to him, Naruto would be a mess for a while, but Sasuke knew over time he would heal. If something were to happen to Naruto? Sasuke was over. Naruto was his world, his reason for waking up in the morning. He wouldn’t heal from a wound that deep, so his best bet was to avoid that confrontation in the first place.

He would go in the early morning, before the sun rises. The ANBU set to guard Kakashi at his apartment would be changing shifts, and for that moment when they were busy updating each other, he would be able to get it. That was his safest bet, daylight would provide less cover and more people, and the Hokage office would have more guards. It also wasn’t unheard of for him to be going to see Kakashi at odd hours, but he would have to be suspiciously sneaky in order to make sure word didn’t get to Naruto if he was seen, for both his and Kakashi’s sake.

Sasuke may not be the best when it comes to relationships and emotions, but he had a decent understanding of how Kakashi worked. They were important to each other, and while he’d never admit it, Sasuke knew Kakashi had a soft spot for him. Sending him on this mission would have been hard enough, but dealing with Naruto in Sasuke’s absence would only make it worse. Naruto would undoubtable hound Kakashi with questions he couldn’t answer, and Sasuke was just trying to get things done before they got too bad. For one, Naruto could read Kakashi almost as well as Sasuke, so he’d get the information he wanted whether Kakashi verbally answered or not. The other issue was that Sasuke knew how hard that ordeal would be for Kakashi, if Naruto found out there was a very high chance he would track Sasuke down, and that would put half of Team 7 in danger as opposed to the original fourth.

He was doing this for Team 7, because if it wasn’t him it would be one of the others. Kakashi wouldn’t have been able to, he was the Hokage so that really went without saying. Sakura had a hospital to run and was more important to keep in the village. That left Naruto. If Sasuke had not been there, Naruto would have received this mission. Sasuke didn’t want to think about that, if Naruto were here instead, but he couldn’t help it. He had been back for six years, he had a routine and normalcy, but what if he wasn’t in the equation? Where would all of his friends be if he hadn’t come back? Where would all of his friends be if he doesn’t come back?

Hopefully it won’t come to that.


End file.
